Two persons, including the wife of a municipal councilor, were killed when suspected New People’s Army rebels ambushed their vehicle last Saturday in San Luis, Agusan del Sur.
The local communist rebels surfaced as the principal suspect since San Luis Councilor Franklin Mandumotan is a known critic of the NPA.
Police Brig. Gen. Gilbert Cruz, director of the Caraga police, said that Mandumotan is one of the authors of a resolution that declared the NPA as persona non grata in Barangay San Pedro, San Luis.
“The NPA carried out the attack on him because we have a move here in the region to declare the NPA as persona non grata,” Cruz said. “Mandumotan is one of the ardent supporters of that move,” he added.
Cruz identified the fatalities as Maricel Quezon and Mandumotan’s wife Susan. Quezon died on the spot while Mandumotan’s wife died in the hospital.
Also in the car was Mandumotan, his son Charles, and Norie Coguit. They were also wounded and were taken to the hospital.
Cruz said the victims were on board a car and heading to the town proper of San Luis when armed men started shooting the vehicle at around 8:30 a.m. in Barangay San Pedro.
Probers ruled out politics as the motive since Mandumotan is not seeking any elective post in the midterm elections next month.
Caraga is one of the areas in the country with a high presence of communist rebels.
The government earlier cancelled the peace talks with the communist rebels and even recalled the appointment of government negotiators. Six of the consultants of the NPA through the National Democratic Front were earlier arrested. (Aaron Recuenco)
